Be Effective at Delegating: 5 Time-Tested Tips

When you first launch a new company, you’re wearing many hats and have your fingers in a number of pies. This is by necessity since there are so many details that need to be addressed, especially in the months leading up to the launch. You want everything to go as planned and need to make daily decisions.

Once the company is on its feet and business is starting to grow, you’re experiencing a new kind of busy — making deals, going to meetings, seeking out new opportunities, and overseeing other matters. Your days are hectic and probably more than a few evenings are as well. You don’t have time to be everywhere, do everything and attend to every detail.

This is why effective leadership requires a strong ability to delegate to others.

During the time when you were building your company, you gave strong consideration to the people who would be a part of it, hiring or partnering carefully and likely strategically. Now, you have to trust them to serve as an extension of the executive office in carrying out your mission and vision. Below are a few tips to help you be a leader who delegates effectively.

Share your vision and expectations with your employees.

Everyone in a company needs to know what the goals and objectives are, and how they fit into your strategy. They also need to know what, specifically is expected of them. Consider an automobile assembly line. You might have one person who attaches doors and another who ensures that tires are filled to the right pressure. They go to work every day with a clear picture of what’s expected of them, as well as how much needs to be accomplished by the end of the day. They’re also likely educated about meeting customer expectations.

Match the person to the job.

Everyone in every company brings a unique set of skills and personality to work. Get to know them and how they can most effectively carry out your vision and serve the company with their personal and professional assets. This goes beyond hard core skills and extends into who is personally suited to specific jobs more than others. A quiet or shy person is likely suited for a job that’s more task-oriented, where an open, friendly person might be just perfect in a customer service or sales position.

Ask employees to keep you (or their supervisor) informed.

It’s important that employees with delegated responsibilities be held accountable for their work, output and productivity. No one in business likes surprises unless it’s related to an employee’s birthday or end-of-year bonus. Staff need to maintain ongoing dialogue with their direct report, whether a floor supervisor, department head, section manager or even the CEO him or herself. This maintains transparency and allows everyone involved to know what’s happening on any given day or week. Open communication provides the opportunity for advice, discussion and addressing any potential issues early on.

Inspire them to do their best work.

Be a good boss. Much of my own business success was built on a sincere interest in and respect for those who work for and with me, and assigning them responsibilities that they’ll not only perform well, but that provide them with satisfaction. Encourage them to ask questions. Be generous with advice or helping them further develop their skills. With both the local and the world marketplace changing every day, it’s wise to support them as they adapt to new ways of doing things. Also, don’t micromanage. Employees need to know that you trust them and respect their work, as opposed to continually looking over their shoulders.

Praise publicly and criticize privately.​

This is an old saying, but it’s an excellent lesson. We’re all human. When someone to whom you’ve delegated a job messes up, that’s a conversation you’ll want to have with that individual in private. Talk it out. Resolve it. Deal with it. There’s no need to yell or shout in front of other employees, and yes, there are those who do that. I call them “bosses,” not leaders. On the other hand, when someone does a great job completing a project that was given to them to handle, make it known among the workforce. It’s a great self-esteem-builder.